What is a botnet?

According to Microsoft a bot is short for robot. Criminals distribute malicious software (also known as malware) that can turn your computer into a bot (also known as a zombie). When this occurs, your computer can perform automated tasks over the Internet, without you knowing it.

Criminals typically use bots to infect large numbers of computers. These computers form a network, or a botnet.

Criminals use botnets to send out spam e-mail messages, spread viruses, attack computers and servers. If your computer becomes a part of a botnet, your computer might slow down.

For ways to help protect your computer from becoming a zombie in a botnet, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/zombies.mspx

Turning off AutoPlay can Prevent USB Drives from Spreading Viruses

When you stick a thumb drive into a system, the AutoPlay feature launches the files and if infected it can also launch a worm and it can then spread the infection into your system. Turn off AutoPlay and prevent unnecessary headaches . Here's how:
On versions of Windows such as Windows XP Professional, Vista Ultimate
1. Click Start, click Run, enter gpedit.msc (launch Group Policy Editor);
2. XP users:Open Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | System,
Vista users: Open Computer Configuration | Windows Components | AutoPlay Policies;
3. Find Turn Off AutoPlay in the right-hand pane and double-click it;
4. Choose Enabled and set it for All drives.utilities.
In any Windows version Try:
1. Launch the Registry editor (Start | Run | regedit);
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer;
3. Double-click NoDriveTypeAutoRun in the right-hand pane and set its value to hexadecimal FF.
Now if you are too lazy to follow all this steps you can visit Panda Security at http://www.pandasecurity.com/usa/homeusers/downloads/usbvaccine/who offers a free "vaccine" program that will turn it off.

Sidejaking Prevention

Sidejacking is away of using public airways to create a kind of password into your computer. it literally becomes a way for hackers to monitor everything that you doing over these public airways. If you happen to go to a coffee shop and log in to your E-mail account hackers can catch all that information and then go off and start acting like they are you, and you have no idea that that happened at the coffee shop. The problem with this malicious activity is that you will have no idea that it is going on because when you connect to the wireless network that is open, it is on a public spectrum so the stuff is flying in the air. So how do we protect ourselves? Install hotspot shield if you use "hotspots". Free download at http://www.anchorfree.com/ This will create a VPN - virtual private network between you and wireless access point so that this sidejacking attempt will be useless on you.

Create rock-solid passwords

Passwords that are real words can be cracked by using a directory attack, where the hacker gets software to try every word in a database. Many sites advice users to use strong passwords comprised of a combination of letters and numbers at least eight characters, but creating such passwords can be challenging. Go to https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm This is password generator that produces new passwords whenever you refresh the page and offers random hexadecimal, ASCII or alphanumeric combinations.

What to do if your antivirus program won't update!

If your antivirus program fails to download the latest virus signatures, a virus might have stomped on your Internet connection. When this happens a virus has modified the windows HOSTS file. In Windows XP and Vista you can locate the HOSTS file by going into the C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc. This File can be opened with notepad or another text editor. It contains comments that begin with characters #-- these can be left along. the HOSTS file should contain only one other line:
127.0.0.1 localhost
In Vista, you will also see this line at the bottom:
::1 localhost
Any other lines of text can be removed.
After editing it, save the file and close it. Now try to update your antivirus program. It should work.

How to Retrieve a Lost Windows Password

It is very frustrating to loose or forget your windows log on password; however for security reasons we tend to make our password a little bit more complex than we want too. Thanks to PC World video on retrieving lost Windows password it is a lot easier to get back to your Windows screen. Watch and enjoy.

Microsoft User Account Recommendations

When you first install windows you'll be asked to enter a user name and choose a password. This will become the administrator account you'll use for all system-level changes, fixes, and updates. According to Microsoft it is better to create a standard user account for day to day use and reserve the administrator account for maintenance, backups, and system administration duties. it is good Idea because if you come into contact with a nasty piece of malware as a standard user in Vista or limited user in XP, it won't get very far in making too much damage to your system. Now go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5-zmbx0qqg and watch a tutorial on how to set up user accounts in Vista. For setting up a limited user account in XP go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw4ZG8TPHaU. I hope you like the tutorials and awfully start using a standard or limited user account for safer computer experience.

Browser Cache

When you visit Web Sites your browser stores all the sites you have visited in its cache as well as some information that you might have typed. The best way to keep a truly clean browser and a maintain a safer Internet experience is to prevent the browser to leave anything in the hard drive. The tool call Eraser is a great program that will help you to securely delete browser cache files by overwriting the files numerous times. It is completely free and you can find it at http://www.heidi.ie/node/6 I hope that it is useful for you and that it will help you have and enjoy a safer online browsing.

Choose a Secure Password

It is vital that you use a strong password. It is best to use a password that is least 8 characters long. Never use a password qwerty or 12345. These are among the most commonly used password and will be the first thing an intruder will try. Also avoid using your username as your password, and don't use proper nouns, words found in the dictionary or your date of birth. Using a mixed-case password makes it harder to crack, so include numbers and capital letters to help strengthen your password. For Example, W6pnfs8rG is harder to break. It is also useful to use other characters in your password, such as currency symbols and underscores. Now if you have a password in mind you can use the password-checker on Microsoft's website www.tinyurl.com/mspassword which lets you type your proposed password into a box an will give it a rating between weak and strong.

Security in Firefox

PC Answers is a UK magazine that specializes in given great computer advise. In its January issue the magazine did an extraordinary review on FireFox. FireFox is a Web browser interface like Internet explorer that can ultimately improve your online experience. It is very easy to try, all you have to do is go to http://www.getfirefox.com/ and click on FireFox 3 free download. As I write today the latest version for the browser is 3.0.6 and the total download should be 7.17 MB. If you use Internet Explorer to navigate the Internet and feel hesitant to change to a new environment I would like to tell you that is very easy to go back to your previous browser and make it a default. All you have to do is go and double click your previous browser icon on you desktop and as soon as the browser starts it will ask you to make it as a default browser. Default means that this browser will be the browser to handle your online experience.
This is link to the FireFox blog security site which will keep you up to date with the latest security issues: http://blog.mozilla.com/security/ I would also like to add the tips and tricks link which will allow you to handle the browser quickly and efficiently for an unique and safer online experience http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/tips/ I hope you enjoy!

How to prevent a computer worm

A computer worm is a software program that is designed to copy itself from one computer to another, without human interaction. Unlike a computer virus, a worm can copy itself automatically. To help prevent getting infected by computer worms, follow these six steps:
1.Keep your operating system up-to-date with latest security updates
2.Keep your firewall turned on at all times.
3.Keep your antivirus software updated
4.Use strong passwords
5.Consider disabling the AutoPlay feature in your computer
6.Use caution before you open e-mails attachments, click links in e-mail, or before you accept file transfers.
Never open e-mail attachments from someone you don't know.

There is no such a thing as Internet security, black hat hackers keep on discovering sophisticated ways of hacking the current Internet security software. Moreover, the regular computer user does not understand or perhaps do not know how to protect themselves online. Can there be a really secure Internet security software program that would work effectively in human to computer interaction?